The Raw Review – 1st February 2010
01/02/2010
Hello and welcome the Raw Review.
Use the quick links below to jump to a specific match or segment.
If you’re following the event with us live keep refreshing as updates will come through sporadically depending on match and segment length.
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On with the show!
Quick Links
Match 1: John Cena Vs. Cody Rhodes
Segment 2: Mr. McMahon Interviewed
Match 2: Jack Swagger Vs. Triple H
Segment 3: Shatner sings the hits of the WWE
Segment 4: DX Discuss the Rumble
Match 3: Randy Orton Vs. Shawn Michaels
Segment 5: Sorry isn’t Good Enough
Match 4: Mark Henry Vs. Ted DiBiase
Segment 6: Diva Double Crossing?
Segment 7: Miz-Show & The Straight Edge Society
Main Event Match: Kofi Kingston Vs. The Big Show
The Raw Review
Opening Segment
Rated R Raw
Rather than kicking off with some luke-warm segment featuring tonight’s Guest Host, tonight we kick off with surprise Royal Rumble entrant and victor; Edge!
Edge appears in some shades looking rather heelish and sets off a huge pyro on his way to the ring.
Once there he tells everyone he’s back, then casts our minds back to around six months ago when he damaged his Achilles tendon while on a Tag Title run with Chris Jericho.
He explained how the doctors told him he might not ever get fit enough to step back in the ring, but how after seeing Chris Jericho take shots at him at the Slammy Awards he vowed to prove the doctors wrong and get back in shape to participate in the Rumble.
He says that’s exactly what he did and while Jericho might have his Slammy, he has his tickets booked to WrestleMania.
Moving on to which Champion he might face Edge reminisced about how he had previously lost to Taker in the main event of WrestleMania so the smart thing to do would be to face the person who hasn’t even participated in a WrestleMania event.
He then says that the even smarter thing to do would be to wait until after No Way Out to make his decision, but gave no indication as to whether that’s what he’d do.
Edge wrapped up by saying that no matter what he decided one thing is for sure, The Rated R Superstar will be main eventing WrestleMania!
As Edge posed in the ring Sheamus’ music hit the speakers and he made his way down the ramp.
Sheamus said he might not have been at Mania before, but he has done something Edge couldn’t do at last year’s big one; beat John Cena for the WWE Championship.
Edge retaliated by saying he’s made a career out of beating Cena for the title, but Sheamus said times have changed since he left and if he had any sense he would run off to Smackdown before he rips his head off.
When Edge refused to back down Sheamus drilled him with the micr0phone and began to set up for the Pump Kick.
However, Edge avoided it and took Sheamus down, before hitting him with a Spear.
At the start of this promo I wasn’t sure if Edge was going to be a heel or a face, and he delivered the first section with the same style when he was the top bad guy on Smackdown, but I guess that’s just something he has to adapt to, as by the end of it I’m pretty sure he was a fan favourite.
The fans in the arena didn’t seem too sure either, seemingly booing a few times as he talked.
Match 1
Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
John Cena
Vs.
Legacy
Hmm, I wonder who’s going to win this one.
Come on guys, at least make it difficult for me!
It’s a very pro-Cena crowd in attendance tonight, and it looked early on like they might be treated to a squash match, as Cena hit the 5 Knuckle Shuffle and set up for the Attitude Adjustment early on.
Rhodes managed to escape the first one, but not the second that came a few minutes later, booking Cena’s place in the Raw Chamber at No Way Out.
Apparently EVERY match on the show tonight is an Elimination Chamber Qualifier, so that means we’re in for another 4 bouts.
But then, tonight’s all about Brett, right?
John Cena wins by Pinfall and qualifies for the Elimination Chamber Match.
Segment 2
Mr McMahon Interviewed
Told you.
Backstage Josh Mathews catches up with Vince and asks him if he has seen Bret so far tonight.
McMahon replied that he hadn’t, and no one else is likely to as he probably won’t show up.
He then heads into an office where ‘someone’ is waiting for him.
After a big Bret tease the camera pans across to reveal…
William Shatner, obviously.
Shatner tells Vince that as a fellow Canadian, fan of WWE and as a human being, he can’t wait for Bret Hart to embarrass him tonight.
Match 2
Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
Jack Swagger
Vs.
Triple H
Another seemingly obvious result here.
Swagger’s push has died slow, quiet death recently and it seems unlikely that someone who spent the past two weeks effectively jobbing to Santino Marella would upset one of the top dogs in the company.
While we’re waiting for this match to reach it’s plain as the nose on your face outcome, why not consider this…
The voting in the WWEBlog Awards For Theatrical Achievement (W.A.F.T.A’s) is well under-way amongst the WWEBlog staff and a select few guest judges, but we’re giving you all the chance to get involved too!
Simply click the banner below and it’ll take you to the People’s Choice Voting Page, where you can cast your vote for the Superstar/team you feel most deserving of an award for their work throughout 2009.
We’ve extended the date for voting too, (Mainly because with all the Rumble stuff going on we’ve not had time to get it ready to go live) so hurry and register support for your favourite Superstar/Team now!
The People’s Choice Award 2009
As expected Triple H pulled out the win with a Pedigree.
Triple H wins by Pinfall and qualifies for the Elimination Chamber Match.
Segment 3
Shatner Sings the hits of the WWE
Now over the past year (it was WWEBlog’s 1st Birthday on Sunday by the way) there have been times when I’ve struggled to describe certain aspects of segments, or matches, but I’ve always given it my best and eventually come up with something that I think encapsulates the feel of what happened on screen.
I thought I’d be able to do that no matter what the WWE Creative team threw at me… and then this happened.
I can’t even begin to describe it, so instead I’ve found a clip of it on Youtube. I don’t know if this will eventually be pulled down by WWE’s copyright infringement team, but until it is… Enjoy! (I know I did.)
(If you notice that this video has been removed, please use our Contact Form and let us know so we can either remove or replace it. Cheers!)
Segment 4
DX Discuss The Rumble
Back in the locker room Shawn and Triple H are just about to discuss last night when Hornswoggle enters and explains what Shatner just did to his music.
The Game tells him he doesn’t have time to deal with it, so sends him away to ‘bite him or something’.
Triple H tells Shawn he can’t believe he Super-Kicked him out of the Rumble because he’d never do anything like that to his oldest friend.
Shawn looks on into the distance, with his expression barely changing.
Triple H reveals that actually, had he had the chance, he would have done exactly the same thing, but Shawn’s expression still doesn’t change.
Eventually Shawn comes to and says that he really thought it was his destiny to win the Rumble and go on to face Taker.
Triple H tells him that he’s gotten too obsessed with it all, and he’s lucky he wasn’t suspended for what he did after being eliminated last night.
He then explains that they have a great opportunity at No Way Out as if Shawn can beat Orton tonight, the two of them can team up and clean house in the Elimination Chamber, leaving it down to them to battle for the gold.
Finally Triple H said that he’d have no problem putting on a match that would bring the house down at WrestleMania for the WWE Championship, when one of them win it, but it’s completely dependent on Shawn beating Orton.
Something finally seemed to click in Michaels’ head and he headed out of the locker room with a purpose once more.
Match 3
Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
Randy Orton
Vs.
Shawn Michaels
Finally a qualifier with a bit of bite!
This is a tough one to call as I think both guys would probably have other matters to attend to come No Way Out.
Randy looks like having his hands full soon with a Legacy revolt, while Michaels is likely to be looking for another way to take on The Deadman at Mania, and as nice as winning the WWE Championship would be, it wouldn’t really help him fulfil his obsession despite Triple H’s pep talk before the match.
I couldn’t take my eyes off this match, which swung back and forth at such a pace it was hard to keep up.
Randy Orton eventually stole a victory with a quick roll-up, which didn’t really do justice to what a high quality battle this was.
After the bout Shawn went a little bit crazy again, grunting and pacing around the ring before finally trudging up the ramp in a kind of disappointed but angry manner.
Randy Orton wins by Pinfall and qualifies for the Elimination Chamber Match.
Segment 5
Sorry isn’t Good Enough
Orton is making his way through the back when he is stopped by DiBiase.
DiBiase tries to apologise for last night but Orton just looks at him with disgust and walks away.
DiBiase looks equally disgusted at the over-reaction as the cameras cut back to ringside.
Looks like Legacy really is on the way out.
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Match 4
Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
Mark Henry
Vs.
Ted DiBiase
If anything is bound to bring on the destruction of Legacy, it’s more than one member being involved in the Elimination Chamber.
Cody is already out of the running, but if DiBiase can pull out somewhat of an upset in this match then that could easily set up an implosion come No Way Out.
DiBiase focussed on the arm for the entire duration of the bout, eventually getting a pinfall after a throw-away Arm Breaker that would have looked out of place winning a match even back in the 1980′s.
After the match a video ran paying tribute to Jack Brisco, who sadly passed away this week.
Everyone at WWEBlog would like to offer their condolences to his friends and family at this difficult time.
A fantastic wrestler, a brilliant man and a sad loss for the wrestling industry.
Ted DiBiase wins by Pinfall and Qualifies for the Elimination Chamber Match.
Segment 6
Diva Double Crossing?
Backstage Maryse approaches Gail Kim and says that she is looking forward to their Divas Championship Match, as she’s seen what Michelle McCool and Mickie James have been upto on Smackdown and in her opinion it’s a disgrace.
She says they should go out there and show everyone what real women can do, then says something in French.
I don’t speak fluent enough French to understand what she said, but I assume it was derogatory.
Segment 7
Miz-Show & The Straight Edge Society
Backstage The Miz and Big Show are chatting in Shatner’s office about how he should give them a Tag Team Championship match.
C.M Punk and his Straight Edge society then enter and say that as Teddy Long screwed them out of their rightful shot at the gold last week on Smackdown, they are here on Raw to find what passes as an authority figure and make sure the right thing is done.
After some banter between the two teams Shatner appears and books a Triple Threat Tag Team Match for next week’s Raw with the titles on the line, which both teams seem to like the idea of.
Segment 8
Plenty More Fish
Elsewhere backstage Triple H tries to snap Shawn out of his funk.
He tells him that the past few days aren’t the end of the world and he’ll always be Mr. WrestleMania.
Triple H says there are plenty of other guys he could fight at Mania, but shawn tells him otherwise and walks out.
Main Event Match
Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match
Kofi Kingston
Vs.
The Big Show
Just as this one was about to get started The Miz emerged to his new music (coincidentally also on WWE’s new CD) and joined the commentary team, where I’m sure he won’t stay.
While I was watching this match, something suddenly sprung to mind; Edge hits a Spear, it wins a match. Big Show hits a Spear, half the time it doesn’t even get a 2 count.
I guess the excuse would be that Edge is a ‘Master’ of the Spear.
As predicted The Miz jumped up out of his seat about half way through this match and focused his attention on Kingston, who had just been dumped to the outside.
However, as Show distracted the referee and Miz moved in on Kingston, M.V.P jumped the rails from the crowd and took out the U.S Champ.
As they brawled to the back the action continued in the ring, where Kofi inadvertently poked Show in the eye.
As he struggled to see Show accidentally drilled the referee who flew across the ring and landed sprawled in the opposite corner.
Show threw Kingston to the outside then began to check on the referee, calling for someone to come from the back to help out.
Scott Armstrong made his way out (isn’t he a Smackdown official) and disqualified Show, despite his pleas that it was an accident.
As EMT’s put the original referee on a stretcher Show ambled around the ringside area growling about how he hadn’t meant to do it and that it wasn’t fair.
I have to say I agree with him.
On a side note, why does Scott Armstrong always get put in these compromising situations?
Kofi Kingston wins by Disqualification and qualifies for the Elimination Chamber Match.
Closing Segment
Bret’s Back!
Oh god. Forget Bret coming back tonight, there’s a more disturbing return scheduled for next week.
NASCAR.
Carl Edwards will be taking charge next week. At least he doesn’t have that much to live up to, he can’t be much worse than the two drones that did it last time.
Anyway, back in the ring Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler introduced his ‘BFF’ William Shatner, who made his way down the ramp flanked by perennial Guest Host botherers The Bella Twins.
Upon entering the ring Shatner executed the poorest ‘trip’ I’ve ever seen, dragging The King down with him.
He then introduced ‘fellow Canadian’ and his hero; Bret Hart.
Bret made his way from the back rather sombrely, looking considerably more dejected than he did the last time we saw him make an entrance.
After taking the microphone Bret explains that he’s taken the last month to put everything into perspective.
He says he came back for all the right reasons, to make peace after twelve long years, despite being warned by everyone that he should be wary.
He says the way things turned out didn’t sit well with him, so he hasn’t come here tonight to make peace, but rather to confront Vince McMahon, who he tells to get down to the ring.
Vince keeps him waiting, which Bret says only makes him madder, but eventually the Chairman’s music hits and he struts out from behind the curtain, looking rather pleased with himself.
He feigns surprise when he sees Bret, but his expression becomes much more serious as he steps between the ropes and stands face to face with his supposed nemesis.
Vince says he’s never regretted a thing he’s done to Bret, who retaliates by calling him the best liar there is, the best liar there ever was and the best liar there ever will be.
Bret talked about Cena standing up for him last week and how he called Vince ‘pathetic’. Bret says he knows what pathetic is because eight years ago he had a stroke which confined him to a wheelchair, which made him feel pathetic.
He said that he used to cry himself to sleep some nights, but he promised himself he would walk and never feel pathetic again, which he hadn’t until last month when Vince left him lying in the ring.
Bret says for years he fought through pain, strapping his knees up night in/night out in an attempt to get Vince to appreciate him, but it never happened. He said it took him twenty years to build up a reputation, but it took Vince three minutes to tear it all down.
He says that last week Vince described him as a chewed piece of gum with no flavour left, but he’s got just enough ‘flavour’ left to kick his ass right here.
Vince tried to calm the situation down, but instead made things worse by mocking Bret’s various monikers and saying that him being known as a ‘Canadian Hero’ makes him physically wretch as he isn’t a hero to anyone.
The crowd seem to disagree but McMahon continues, saying he can’t work out what the fans see in him, because he doesn’t have any personality or charisma and if it wasn’t for people like Shawn Michaels he’d be nothing more than a footnote in the mid-card.
Vince continues to insult The Hitman, poking fun at his ‘hangdog face’, ‘crappy hair’ and that he’s ‘dressed like a hobo’, before saying that Stu Hart will NOT be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame because he doesn’t deserve it.
Bret finally snaps, dragging Vince to the floor and pummelling him before setting him up for the Sharpshooter.
However, just as Bret is about to apply his signature hold Batista hits the ring and beats him down.
The Animal holds Bret up while Vince chews him out, adding insult to injury by spitting in his face as the show comes to a close.
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